Who is Alvin Bragg? What You Need to Know About the Manhattan DA Who Indicted Trump

Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a New York grand jury convened earlier this year by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for allegations related to a business records investigation to a “hush money” payment made to adult entertainment actress Stormy Daniels in 2016. This makes Trump the first-ever U.S. president to face criminal charges. Trump’s arraignment is expected to happen next week in New York City.

Alvin Bragg, the first black district attorney for Manhattan, took office in 2022. Before becoming DA, Bragg served as an Assistant Attorney General for the state of New York and as an assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Bragg grew up in Harlem and has spent more than two decades working in the criminal justice system.

Bragg’s campaign promises included indicting Trump. Upon taking office, he inherited a grand jury investigation of the alleged payment to Daniels during Trump’s presidential campaign. This year, Bragg convened a new grand jury and proceeded with the case.

Bragg’s High-Profile Cases

Bragg is a white-collar prosecutor who has been involved in a number of high-profile cases. As DA, he oversaw the case against the Trump Organization in which both the Trump Organization and the Trump Payroll Corp. were found guilty and fined. He also announced an indictment against Trump’s former strategist Steve Bannon, who is accused of defrauding donors in a fundraising scheme to build the wall along the southern border. Furthermore, he represented the family of Eric Garner, who died after being placed in a chokehold by a police officer in 2014.

Bragg’s Background

Bragg won the Democratic primary and then the general election in November 2021, becoming Manhattan’s fourth elected DA in the last 80 years. He earned his B.A. from Harvard University and his J.D. at Harvard Law School.

Is Bragg Backed by Soros?

George Soros, the founder of Open Society Foundations, is known for backing liberal prosecutors and political candidates. However, he has denied any connection to Bragg. Recently, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis accused Bragg of being “Soros-backed” in response to Bragg’s announcement of Trump’s indictment. DeSantis wrote on Twitter that “The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head. It is un-American.” He added that Florida would not assist in an extradition request given the questionable circumstances regarding Bragg’s political agenda.